Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-10

VINO ~ was
One glance at Mrs Neville's tear stained
Tacs was enough for her She knew what
was coming, and clasped at one of the young
blue gum trees that grew along the path to
prevcn; herself from falling
1Nhal is itt' she said, family; dis he
dead"
eyes, my dear, yes; shot through the head
they say"
jess made no answer, but chung to the
sapling, feeling rs though she were going
80 die herself, and family hoping that she
might do So Her eyes wandered vaguely
from the face of the messenger OF evil, first
mp to the sky, then down to the cropped and
4roddcn vcldt Past the gate of "The Palatial"
garden ran road which, as it happened,
was a short cut from the scene of the fight,
and down this road cans four Knflirs and
half castles, bearing something on n st"etcher,
with ihr', or four carbineers riding behind.
"A cont was thrown over the face of the form
ON the strctcher, but the legs were visible.
They were booted and spurred, and the feet
fell apart in that peculiarly lax and help
less way of which there is no possibility of
suistaking the meaning.
Look She said pointing.
'Ah, poor man, poor manp said Mrs.
Neville, they are bringing him here to lay
aim out"
Then jess beautiful eyes closed, and down
she went with the bending tree. Presently
cEe sapiing snapped, and she fell senseess
with little cry, and rs she did so the men
with the corpse passed on.
Two minutes afterward John Mel, having
heard the rumor of his own death on arrival
at the camp, and greatly fearing lest it should
have got to Jess ears came cantering
hurredy across, and dismounting as well as
ais wound would allow, limped up the garden
path
Great heavens, Capt Nell" said Mrs.
Neville, looking up; "why, we thought that
you were dead"
"And that is what you have been telling
her, / suppose" he said, sternly, CHANGING at
She pale and deathlike face; 'you might have
waited till you were sure, Poor grill it must
nave given her a turn" and STOPPING down,
he got his arms under her, and lifting her
with some difficulty, limped off to the house,
where he laid her down upon the table, and,
assisted 10y Mrs. Neville, began to do all in
his power to revive her. SO obstinate was
l1er faint, however, that their efforts We're
unavaiing, and at last Mrs Neville started
off to the camp to get Some brandy. leaving
him to go on rubbing her hands and sprnk-
ling water on her face,
9'he good lady had not been gone moro
han two or three minutes when jess sud
lenly opened her eyes and sat up, and then
slipped her feet to the ground. Her eyes fell
upon John and dilated with wonder. and he
'hcught that she was going to faint again
for even her lips blanched, and She hn-an to
shake and tyemble all over in the extremity
IF her agitation.
'Jees, jess" he said, "for Gods sake don't
look like that. You brighten me-"
Il Thought You were-I thought You were
~ she said, slowly, and then suddenly burst
into a passion of tears and fell forward upon
mis- breast and lay there sobbing her heart
ont, her brown curls resting against his face,
1T was an awkward position and a most
moving one, John was only man, and the
spectacle Of this strange woman, to whom
ne had lately grown so much attached,
plunged into intense emotion. awakened, APP
parently, by anxiety about his fate stirred
him deeply, as it would have stirred any
body. Indeed, it struck some chord in him
FOR which he could not quite account, and its
echoes charmed and yet frightened him.
What dill it ppaan.
jess, dear IS, pray Stop; can't bear to
SEQ yon cry so.'
Sine lifted her head from his shoulder and
stood looking at him, her hand resting on the
table behind her Her face was wet with
tears and looked like Il dew washed lily, and
her beautiful eyes We're alight with a flame
chat he had never seen in the eyes of woman
before. She said nothing but her whole face
was more eloquent than any words for there
are times when the features can convey a
message in "A language of their own that is
more subtle than any tongue we talk There
she stood, her breast heaving with emotion as
the sea heaves when the ferceneSs of the
storm has paSsed-a very incarnation of tie
iatensest love of woman. And as she stood
something seemed to pass before her eyes and
blind her, and spirit took possession of her
that absorbed all her doubts and fears, and
she gave way to a force that was Of her and
yet compelled her, as, when the wind blows,
the sails compel ship. And then, for the
first time where her love was concerned, she
gut ont all her strength. She knew and had
always known, that she could master
him and force him to regard her as she re-
garded him, did she but choose, How she
knew it she could not say, but so it was. And
now she yielded to an overmastering impulse
and chose She said nothing, she did not
even move, she only looked at him.
"lVhy were you in such fright about me?'
She did not answer, but kept her eyes upon
Dis face and it seemed to John ms though
power flowed from them; for, rs she looked,
ne felt the change come. Everything melted
away before the almost spiritual intensity OF
hcr gaze. Bessie, honor, his engagement-all
rere forgotten; the smouldering embers
broke into flame, and he knew that he loved
this woman as he had never loved any living
creature hefore-that he loved her even as
she loved him. Strong man as he was he
shook like a leaf before her.
Jess" he said, hoarsely, "GOd forgive mo
: love you" and he bent forward to kiss her
She lifted her face toward him, then sud
denly changed her mind, and LAID her hand
upon his breast.
you forget" she said, almost solemnly
you are going to marry Bessie"
Overpowered by deep sense of shame, anG
sgF another sense Of the deep calamity thai
-raS overraken him. John turned and limpeC
1rom the house.
CHAPTER XVIII